 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Buddhism in Malaysia" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Percentage population of Buddhist in Malaysia according to 2020 census | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 5.6 million (2010) 19.8% of the country's total population  | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Malaysia Hindus |
Buddhism is the second largest religion inMalaysia, afterIslam, with 18.7% of Malaysia's population being Buddhist,[2][3] although some estimates put that figure at 21.6% when combining estimates of numbers of Buddhists with figures for adherents of Chinese religions which incorporate elements of Buddhism.[4]Buddhism in Malaysia is mainly practised by the ethnicMalaysian Chinese, but there are alsoMalaysian Siamese,[1]Malaysian Sri Lankans andBurmese in Malaysia that practice Buddhism such asAnanda Krishnan andK. Sri Dhammananda and a sizeable population ofMalaysian Indians.
| Part ofa series on |
| Buddhism |
|---|
 |
.jpg)
Buddhism was introduced to theMalays and also to the people of theMalay Archipelago as early as 200 BCE.Chinese written sources indicated that some 30 small Indianised states rose and fell in theMalay Peninsula. Malay-Buddhism began whenIndian traders and priests traveling themaritime routes and brought with them Indian concepts of religion, government, and the arts. An archeology research group fromUniversiti Sains Malaysia in late June 2024 found three Sanskrit stone inscriptions containingmantras anddoctrinal texts plus a completestucco statue of Buddha within the grounds of the Bukit Choras complex not far fromBujang Valley in southwestKedah dated around 8-9th centuries, earlier than those inAngkor Wat andBorobudur.[5][6]
For many centuries the peoples of the region, especially the royal courts, synthesised Indian and indigenous ideas includingHinduism andMahayana Buddhism and that shaped their political and cultural patterns.[7] However, the MalayKedah Kingdom denounced Indian religion after the king ofChola fromTamil Nadu attacked them in the early 11th century. The king ofKedah,Phra Ong Mahawangsa, was the first Malay ruler to denounce the traditional Indian religion; he converted toIslam, and in the 15th century, during the golden age of theMalacca Sultanate, the majority of Malays converted to Islam.[citation needed]
%2c_Sentul%2c_Kuala_Lumpur.jpg)
According to theMalaysian constitution, the majority ethnic group, theMalays, are legally defined asMuslim. They constitute 60% of the population, with the remainder consisting mostly ofChinese, who are generally Buddhists or Christians, and to the lesser extentIndians, who are generally Hindus. There are also smaller numbers of other indigenous and immigrants; among the latter are Malaysians ofSinhalese,Thai, and Eurasian origin. Nearly all of the Buddhists in Malaysia live in urban areas, since they are mostly engaged in business or employed in various professions.
Recently, a number of Malaysian Buddhist leaders have responded to the decline in religious participation by the children of Buddhist families, have attempted to reformulate their message to address modern life more directly. Groups involved in these education efforts include the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia (BMSM), which was founded by late VenK. Sri Dhammananda. BMSM leaders have argued that, while many educated youths seek an intellectual approach to Buddhism, an equally large number of people prefer to approach the religion through the tradition of ceremony and symbolism. In response to these needs, religious practices are carried out, but in a way that is simple and dignified, removing what can be seen as superstition. Efforts are made to explain whysuttas are chanted, lamps lit, flowers offered, and so on.
As a religion without a supreme head to direct its development, Buddhism is practised in various forms, which, although rarely in open conflict, can sometimes lead to confusion among Buddhists. In Malaysia, some ecumenical moves have been made to coordinate the activities of different types of Buddhists. One example is the formation of the Joint Wesak Celebrations Committee of the temples inKuala Lumpur andSelangor, which coordinates the celebration ofWesak, a holiday commemorating the birth of theBuddha. An initiative has also begun to form a Malaysian Buddhist Council, representing the various sects of Buddhism in the country to extend the work of the development of Buddhism, especially in giving contemporary relevance to the practise of the religion, as well as to promotesolidarity among Buddhists in general.
In 2013, a video of a group ofVajrayana Buddhist practitioners fromSingapore conducting religious service in asurau had become viral onFacebook. Malaysian police have arrested a resort owner after he allowed 13 Buddhists to use a Muslim prayer room (surau) for their meditation atKota Tinggi,Johor.[8] The incident has been a frown upon Muslims inMalaysia. It has also become a hot topic in the social media. Following up at 28 August 2013, thecontroversial prayer room was demolished by the resort management within 21 days from the date of receipt of the notice after much protests by the residents ofKota Tinggi.[9][10] At the time, Syed Ahmad Salim, the resort owner explained that he had allowed the group of Buddhists to use thesurau for ameditation session as he was unaware that it was an offence.[11]
According to the2010 Census, 5,620,483 people or 19.8% of the population identify themselves as Buddhists. Most Chinese Malaysian follow a combination ofBuddhism,Taoism,Confucianism andChinese ancestral worship but, when pressed to specify their religion, will identify themselves as Buddhists. As a result, 83.6% of all the Chinese Malaysian self-identifying as Buddhists. Information collected in thecensus based on respondent's answer and did not refer to any official document.
| Gender | Total Buddhist Population (2010 Census) | Malaysian Buddhist Citizens | Non-Malaysian Buddhist Citizens | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bumiputera Buddhist | Non-Bumiputera Buddhist | ||||||
| Malay Buddhist | Other Bumiputera Buddhist | Chinese Buddhist | Indian Buddhist | Others Buddhist | |||
| Nationwide | 5,620,483 | 0 | 33,663 | 5,347,687 | 32,441 | 51,274 | 161,418 |
| Male Buddhist | 2,903,709 | 0 | 16,611 | 2,759,151 | 16,888 | 25,429 | 91,630 |
| Female Buddhist | 2,716,774 | 0 | 17,052 | 2,588,536 | 15,553 | 25,845 | 69,788 |
| State | Total Buddhist population (2010 Census) | % of State Population |
|---|---|---|
| Johor | 989,316 | 29.5% |
| Kedah | 275,632 | 14.2% |
| Kelantan | 57,792 | 3.8% |
| Kuala Lumpur | 597,770 | 35.7% |
| Labuan | 7,795 | 9.0% |
| Malacca | 198,669 | 24.2% |
| Negeri Sembilan | 216,325 | 21.2% |
| Pahang | 215,815 | 14.4% |
| Penang | 556,293 | 35.6% |
| Perak | 597,870 | 25.4% |
| Perlis | 22,980 | 9.9% |
| Putrajaya | 273 | 0.4% |
| Selangor | 1,330,989 | 24.4% |
| Terengganu | 25,653 | 2.5% |
| Sarawak | 332,883 | 13.5% |
| Sabah | 194,428 | 6.1% |
Therights of religious minorities in Malaysia, including but not limited to those ofBuddhists,Hindus andSikhs, are sometimes described as hindered by the existing legal framework.
Islam is theofficial religion of Malaysia. The constitution of Malaysia declares that Islam is the only religion of genuine Malay people. According to theKetuanan Melayu doctrine, thebumiputera or autochthonous populations are required to be Muslims,[12] thereby couplingMalay ethnic identity with Muslim religious identity.Apostasy from Islam, whether toirreligion or to another religion, is against the law; however, the conversion of others to Islam is permitted. In fact, according to some sources, the government actively promotes the conversion to Islam in the country.[13] The law requires any non-Muslim who marries a Muslim to first convert to Islam, any such marriages contracted in violation of the law areipso facto void.[13] Should a parent adopt Islam, their children are automatically declared Muslims without the consent of either parent.[14][15]
Several Buddhist temples have been demolished by the government under the pretext of having been built on public land. The land in question is then sold todevelopers for purposes ofgentrification.In 2014, some ruins of candi (tomb temple) inBujang Valley were destroyed by an urban developer, causing an international outcry against attacks on cultural heritage.[citation needed]
![Michelle Yeoh[16]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMichelle_Yeoh_Cannes_2017_2_(cropped).jpg)
![Koh Tsu Koon[17]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aKoh_Tsu_Koon.jpg)
.jpg)
ProminentBuddhist temples inMalaysia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Johor |   | |
| Kelantan | ||
| Kuala Lumpur | ||
| Malacca | ||
| Pahang | ||
| Penang | ||
| Perak | ||
| Sabah | ||
| Sarawak | ||
| Selangor | ||
.svg)
